November 22, 1963

This exhibit at the LBJ Library outlines the transition of power from President Kennedy to President Johnson and displays important artifacts from the day that JFK was assassinated and the days that followed.

A display case houses a letter from Jacqueline Kennedy to Lyndon Johnson, thanking him for walking “behind Jack” and for his kindness and support in the days that followed John F. Kennedy's death. Along the back wall of this gallery is a display on November 27, 1963 when President Johnson addressed the country. In this speech, famously called “Let Us Continue,” he stated that his prime directive would be to continue President Kennedy's legislative agenda. Johnson called the people and government of the United States to action to fulfill Kennedy’s legislative legacy.

At the corner of one wall is a telephone receiver where visitors may listen to conversations relating to this historic event.

Listen to a telephone conversation between President Johnson and Jacqueline Kennedy on December 2, 1963:

Then & Now

Did You Know…

Liz Carpenter was the executive assistant to Vice President Lyndon Jonson and the first woman to hold that job. She wrote the words that Johnson edited and then read to the nation upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base on Nov. 22, 1963, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The notecard with President Johnson’s handwritten edits is on display in the LBJ Library. It may be downloaded and used free of charge. [Download PDF...]